Packaged door unit



T. L. HOWELL, JR

PACKAGED DDOR UNIT Get. 11, 1955 Filed Oct. 21, 1952 Z xx 0 IN VENTOR MW L/fiwll, Jr:

i f; ATTORNEYS United States Patent PACKAGED DOOR UNIT Thaddeus L. Howell, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., assignor to Con-Dor Corporation of America, Jacksonville, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application October 21, 1952, Serial No. 316,028

4 Claims. (Cl. 20646) This invention relates to packaged door units and, more particularly, to means for preventing relative movement between the door and door frame of such units during shipment.

In increasing numbers door and door frames are being prefabricated and assembled as a unit for on-the-job installation. In most instances the door frame is of the two-part jamb type with the division line between the two parts of the jamb adapted to be coveredby the bumper strip for the door. The door is hingedly connected to one section of the jamb and it is necessary to support the opposite side of the door during shipment to prevent movement with respect to the frame; This is sometimes done by a dowel being inserted through the opening in the door which is toreceivethe door latching mechanism and into a recess in the adjacent jamb, which recess will later be covered by the strike plate. Other times chocks or braces of conventional type are used. Where a dowel is used it is necessary to remove the dowel and install the latching mechanism after the door and frame have been installed. Where chocks and braces and the like are employed it is necessary to remove these and to putty up the nail holes before the door and frame can be finished. With any of these expedients it is necessary to do some further work on the unit after it is installed and the fastening means removed.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a packaged door unit incorporating means for preventing relative movement between door and frame during shipment which, when removed, leaves the door ready for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packaged unit which has the door latching mechanism and strike plate installed, and to provide means to cooperate with these elements to hold the door rigid within the frame and prevent relative movement between the door and frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rigidi fying element which is very inexpensive, can be produced in volume and can be inserted in the assembled units by unskilled labor without the use of tools.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof when taken into conjunction with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification. w In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a packaged door unit embodying the principles of the present invention, shown ready for shipment;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the unit shown in Figure 1, and is taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view on an enlarged scale through a portion of the door and frame in the region of the latching mechanism, and is taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detailed section looking at the strike along only one edge.

plate, showing the latch bolt and filler block in section,

and is taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tiller block.

In general, the invention consists in providing means companion jamb and lintel sections 8 and 9. The door 2 is connected to the jamb 4 of the front frame sectio by means of the hinges 10. t

When the unit is to be shipped, suitable bracing such as the spreaders 11 and cross braces 12 are installed to hold the frame rigid.

The door of the unit, however, is attached to the frame Some means must be provided to secure the opposite edge to prevent warping in transit. To accomplish this, the latch mechanism is installed, and means provided to eliminate play between the latch bolt and strike plate opening.

The door has an opening 13 cut in it to receive later the usual knobs and shaft. A connecting hole 14 is cut into the door from the free edge to the opening 13, to receivethe barrel of latch 15. The latch has the conventional face plate 16 for attaching the barrel to the door. A spring-pressed bolt 17 is slidably mounted in the barrel, and has an extension 18 projecting beyond the back end of the barrel into the opening 13 to be coupled to the knob and shaft assembly to draw the bolt into the barrel in usual fashion.

The jamb 5 of the front section of the frame is mortised, as at 18, opposite the latch mechanism of the door, to provide a recess to receive the latch bolt 17. If desired, a metal box 19 may be seated in this recess, as shown on the drawings, to enhance the finished appearance of the opening. A strike plate 20 is then fastened to the jamb over the recess. The strike plate has the usual rectangular opening 21 to receive the bolt, and an inclined extension 22 at the front to serve as a cam to force the bolt into the barrel when the door is closed. This is conventional construction.

In the usual practice, the opening 21 in the strike plate is larger than the cross-section of the bolt. This is necessary to easy operation of the latch and to ensure latching when the door is closed, even though there may be some warping or shifting of the door relating to the frame.

The present invention contemplates the use of a filler block in the latch plate opening, the block having overall contour and dimensions to exactly fit within the strike plate opening 21, and a recess which, together with one edge of the strike plate opening, conforms to the shape and crosssectional size of the latch bolt. The filler block 23 is substantially rectangular in outline with an armate recess 24 midway of one of the long sides. The block is inserted into the opening 21 in the strike plate and, as the depth of the block is substantially that of the metal box 19 plus the thickness of the strike plate, the top of the block will be substantially flush with the surface of the strike plate. When the door is closed, the bolt will strike the cam extension 22 of the strike plate and be pushed back into the barrel of the latch. When the door is completely closed, the bolt will be directly in line with the recess in the filler block, and will move into it. Due to the fact that the recess and the bridging portion of the edge of the strike plate opening define an opening which exactly corresponds with the shape and size of the 3 bolt, the" door will beheld against movement in any direction when the bolt is in the recess in the block. This will effectively hold the door in position and prevent relative movement between the door and frame.

With this arrangement, the need for chocks or braces is eliminated. The task of fitting the door for use after the unit is installed is simplified considerably. When the filler block is used it is only necessary to retract the. latch bolt, open the door, and remove the filler block from the strike plate opening.

When the filler block has served its purpose it may be discarded, as its cost is negligible. The blocks may be produced by shaping a moulding to have a cross-section identical with that of the block. A length of the moulding may be cutinto' pieces of desired length to form the blocks.

The simplicity of the device, the fact that it canbe installed in and removed from the unit quickly without the aid of tools, and the fact that it is disposable, all add to the desirability of this means for stabilizing the door and frame during shipment.

While in theabove one practical embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will: be understood that this is by way of illustration only, and the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a packaged door unit, a two part frame, each part including jamb and lintel sections, a door hingedly connected along one edge to a jamb of one part of the frame, the other jamb of the same frame part having a recess and a strike plate having an opening therein over said recess, a latch including a bolt mounted in the free edge of said door with the bolt in alignment with the opening in said strike plate and adapted to seat therein when the door is in closed position, and a filler block to:

fit snugly within said opening in said strike plate, said filler block having a cutout portion which is congruent to the cross-section of the latch bolt.

2. A device for rendering the door and door frame of an assembled unit relatively immovable for shipment wherein the door is provided with a latch bolt and the frame a strike plate having an opening to receive the latch bolt comprising, a filler block having an outline conforming to the shape of the opening in the latch plate and adapted to be seated in said opening, said filler block having a recess therein, said recess being shaped to conform to the cross-sectional outline of the latch bolt.

3. In a device as claimed in claim 2, said filler block being generally rectangular in outline, and said recess being formed in one of the long sides of said block, whereby when said block is in the opening in the strike plate said recess and the bridging portion of the edge of said strike plate define an opening which is congruent to the crosssection of the latch bolt.

4. A device for rendering the door and door frame of an assembled unit relatively immovable for shipment wherein the door is provided with a latch boltand the frame a strike plate having an opening to receive the latch bolt comprising, a filler block having a length and breadth equal to the length and breadth of the opening in the strike plate whereby said block will be immovable when inserted in said opening, and said block having a recess thereinhaving a length and breadth equal to the cross-sectional length and breadth of said latch bolt, whereby said latch bolt will be held against all but axial movement when in said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,489,029 Guerrant Nov. 22, 1949 

